3.92 cGPA || 36 MCAT || Average ECs

[brrenters]

Hi all!

UC undergrad, California resident
3.93 GPA
36 MCAT (13/12/11)

ECs:
2 years of synthetic chemistry research - multiple conferences, posters, likely publication in the coming quarter. About 22 hours a week

1 year of clinical emergency medicine research (mix of clinical experience and clinical research) - around 200 hours total

Vice President of Mixtape Society, a student organization on campus

Two quarters of emergency medicine clinical experience - 80 hours

Shadowing a primary care doctor - 20 hours

Hobbies:
(Not too sure how relevant or important these are, or how this will fit into my app but I figured I would jot these down)

DJing - would spend a couple hours a day crate digging, and eventually moved on to making mixes that I could contribute to the Mixtape Society. performing to online audiences on mixify

Skateboarding - lots of flatground and ledge skating, and a bit of stairs!

School List (VERY tentative, and would love your help to build upon and/or narrow down):
BU
Yale
SUNY Downstate, Upstate, Stonybrook
Temple
Tufts
Brown
UCSD
UCLA
UCD
UCI
UCR
UCSF
Northwestern
Columbia
NYU
USC
Georgetown
Emory
University of Illinois
University of Chicago
Dartmouth
University of Colorado
University of Rochester
Oregon Health & Science
Cornell
University of Pittsburgh

The most obvious impression I get is that my list is VERY top heavy, but I would appreciate feedback on schools within my reach and far out of my reach. Also, I had trouble finding lower tier schools to balance out my list as I am not too familiar with many of them.

Also, I would love to stay in California, so if anyone could comment on my chances for any of the UCs and USC, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks all!

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[dextor2003]

Grades and mcat look good. EC's are what you say, average. Maybe try to get some leadership and non-medical community service? And yes, your list is too top heavy. Schools I'd add:

Tulane
Ohio State
NYMC
Einstein

That's all I can think of right now. Consider getting the msar to get a better idea for your list.

Sorry, no experience with the UCs so can't comment there.

 

[Nymphicus]

Colorado and Illinois are very expensive for OOS-ers.

I see you have Chicago and New York on your list. Maybe add some of the others schools in those areas (Rush, Loyola, Einstein, Mt. Sinai).
For New England, maybe University of Vermont.
George Washington is also in DC.
Drexel and Jefferson are also in Philly.

 

[brrenters]

Thank you both for the input. I will look into those schools as well.

As for trying to fit in additional non-medical community service, is it too late at this point? I will (ideally) be sending my app in this June

 

[gyngyn]

You are a good candidate for all the CA schools mentioned except UCR (unless you have strong ties to the inland empire and have a validated commitment to that community).

 

[calgirl1234]

how is having a possible publication + working in a lab 20 hours/ week average.. o__o you should take out brown, they have a small class size and mostly accept people from their undergrad. i'm pretty sure you can get into one of the UCs, but do you really want to go to UCR? They just opened their SOM so it's probably not that great and also riverside is just not a fun place to live

 

[brrenters]

Good points, and good recommendations, this is very helpful!

I feel like it is average because I don't have any non medical community service, and I don't think I have anything that particularly stands out from others (maybe my djing + mixtape society leadership?). I do feel that I have dedicated a substantial portion of my free time to research, though, and I hope schools will recognize that.

EDIT: also, I should have strong letters of rec from my upper division cell biology lab course, my PI from my research lab, from my upper division linguistics professor, and from my primary care physician who I shadowed. Do I need to worry about getting any additional letters?

 

[brrenters]

Hey all,

finalizing my school list for this application cycle. I would appreciate any last comments!

Top Tier:
Columbia
Cornell
Emory
Harvard (Perhaps switch out for another mid tier?)
Northwestern
NYU
Pritzker
Sinai
Stanford
UCLA
UCSD

Mid:
Boston
Einstein
Georgetown
Oregon Health & Science
USC
Tufts
UC Davis
UC Irvine
Wisconsin
SUNY Downstate

Safety:
Drexel
Rush
NYMC

 

[neuronerd24]

Good list, but I wouldn't waste my time or money on any public non-CA schools, if I were you. CA has so many great public schools for cheap so I would apply to all of those!

 

[Goro]

Good list; aim high!

Hi all!

UC undergrad, California resident
3.93 GPA
36 MCAT (13/12/11)

ECs:
2 years of synthetic chemistry research - multiple conferences, posters, likely publication in the coming quarter. About 22 hours a week

1 year of clinical emergency medicine research (mix of clinical experience and clinical research) - around 200 hours total

Vice President of Mixtape Society, a student organization on campus

Two quarters of emergency medicine clinical experience - 80 hours

Shadowing a primary care doctor - 20 hours

Hobbies:
(Not too sure how relevant or important these are, or how this will fit into my app but I figured I would jot these down)

DJing - would spend a couple hours a day crate digging, and eventually moved on to making mixes that I could contribute to the Mixtape Society. performing to online audiences on mixify

Skateboarding - lots of flatground and ledge skating, and a bit of stairs!

School List (VERY tentative, and would love your help to build upon and/or narrow down):
BU
Yale
SUNY Downstate, Upstate, Stonybrook
Temple
Tufts
Brown
UCSD
UCLA
UCD
UCI
UCR
UCSF
Northwestern
Columbia
NYU
USC
Georgetown
Emory
University of Illinois
University of Chicago
Dartmouth
University of Colorado
University of Rochester
Oregon Health & Science
Cornell
University of Pittsburgh

The most obvious impression I get is that my list is VERY top heavy, but I would appreciate feedback on schools within my reach and far out of my reach. Also, I had trouble finding lower tier schools to balance out my list as I am not too familiar with many of them.

Also, I would love to stay in California, so if anyone could comment on my chances for any of the UCs and USC, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks all!

 

[neuronerd24]

Also, be careful about applying too top heavy, but NO school is "far out of your reach" with those stats